Evanescent
by ElectricFlowerChildren
Summary: We grow up thinking that the person we'll end up with is good and pure and has all of the best intentions. But what if that wasn't the case? I wanted to leave him, knowing all that he was and all that I would become by proximity. But it was too late for that-for both of us. I was already under his spell.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Nothing about the Twilight Franchise belongs to me, and I do not intend to make any profit off of the story below. **

**A/N: Hello lovelies! It's been a good long while since I've created anything on this site. I am currently working on a novel of my own, while simultaneously finishing up school and working as a server on the weekends. I've reached a bit of a block in my novel, so this is a little something that I wanted to do while I wait for inspiration to hit me.**

**NOW. Let me say this. This is not a story for those who dislike OOC stories. And as for the plot-I make no promises in it being a happy ending type tale. I try and keep it as realistic as possible, while also being interesting. **

**Just give me feedback on what you like and dislike, and we'll see what happens! :D**

* * *

It was going to be a long shift. I could tell because the two men sitting at the table I was standing before were looking at the food in front of them like I had shit it out on a plate and served it up with a smile.

Part of me wanted to bark out something sharp and angry. The better part of me inhaled and exhaled quickly, giving them the closest resemblance to a genuine smile that I could manage.

"Everything look ok?" I asked.

And why shouldn't it? _Cantina's_, a small diner in Columbus, Ohio, was named by _Money Magazine, _as one of the best places to eat in the state. I had started working here about a month ago, shortly after I had moved to the town when I left the college I was attending back in Washington.

The food by itself was excellent. Tender steaks and warm, rich bowls of homemade chili were among the more popular items that we offered. Add that to the cozy atmosphere Richard, the owner, carefully planned out, and it was like being in your own small corner of the world. Little twinkle lights circled the perimeter of the restaurant, occasionally dipping down a bit and creating a loop.

The two guys, both about middle age, had ordered a steak, medium rare, with sides of mash potatoes and corn. The chef that was working tonight, Mike, was fantastic. He practically gave birth to the food that he cooked.

So I couldn't figure out why the gentleman on the left was complaining that his steak was too well done, and the one of the right argued the opposite.

Normally I would defend the food. The fact that I still had a job despite the many times where I had done just that was a miracle.

But today I was tired. Today, I simply apologized and picked up the plates.

"It won't happen again, guys. I'll have the chef remake these right away."

They smiled at me then, and started eating the remaining food in front of them.

After appeasing three of my other tables, which were all about to cash out, I went back into the kitchen. Mike saw me and sighed.

"It's always you, isn't it?"

"Aw, Mike." I let out a small sigh myself. "I think these are just about god damn beautiful. I'd hang them on my wall if I could."

He laughed and took the plates from me, sliding the steaks into to-go boxes.

"How about you just take them home instead? Your shift is almost over and I'm sure you haven't even eaten yet."

"Thanks Mike." I smiled and took the boxes. "In the mean time, think you can help me get these guys out of here?"

He nodded and gave me a small salute.

"Anything for you, gorgeous."

**OOO**

I cautiously stepped out into the rain, pulling my hood up over my hair, which was slung back in a ponytail. Due to my aversion of having my car smell like the restaurant, I had changed out of my uniform and into a pair of well-worn jeans and a blue v-neck after I had finished collecting my tips for the night. My black and gray Vans sloshed into a particularly deep puddle and I groaned. I could already feel the water seeping through the seams.

A low chuckle sounded beside me. Despite how big he was, my best friend Jacob always managed to sneak up on me.

"God damn it, Jake."

"You need better shoes." Was his return. "How have you not figured that out yet?"

I shrugged and continued walking. Jacob was the one who got me the job at Cantina's. He had been working there since he was of legal working age; first as a bus boy, now as a server.

Though I had only known him for a few short weeks, he had quickly become my best friend. It was tough when I first moved here, trying to meet people, and I often had to shake myself out of thinking about the time where no one would speak to me and there was nothing but school and work to wake up for.

Girls were especially catty in the restaurant, and it didn't help at all when Jake had turned his attention on me. It was easy to see why.

Jacob was…. beautiful. The most fucking wonderful display of man that I had yet to see here. He had a set of near perfect sparkling white teeth, which were nicely cast against russet colored skin. He had warm brown eyes, and a carefree smile, despite the many things in his life that stressed him out. Then there was the fact that he was over 6 feet tall and absolutely ripped. Even wearing the plain black polo that we all had to wear did him justice, exposing his muscular arms and large, soft looking hands.

I had no idea why he first approached me. Compared to the other girls here, I was really nothing special. Brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin and an only average looking figure was all I had to offer. And yet, according to the gossip chain, Jacob hadn't shown interest in anyone until me.

Which is why I felt so bad about turning him down, in the romantic sense at least. He was a great guy, one that I was both attracted to and interested in. But he was also young, 19 to my 21 years of age.

However, Jacob wasn't easily dissuaded and I really didn't mind. His joyful attitude was refreshing and came naturally to him. He was contagious.

We reached my car and I popped the trunk open. Back in Washington, I had a large orange truck. But after owning it far past its prime, I had to sell it for parts and switch to a small Ford Escape. It got good gas mileage but I wasn't nearly as fond of it I was of my monster.

"Make good money tonight?" I asked him, like I always did.

There was really no need. Jacob always made good money on account of the fact that women loved him and paid him heavily for his affections.

He grinned and shoved lightly into me.

"Enough to buy you a drink."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not taking you to a bar?" I grinned. "I'm trying to be a good influence on you."

"You, influence me?" He threw back his head and laughed. Rain was soaking him through, but he didn't seem to mind.

Frowning slightly, I threw my uniform into the car and slammed the trunk shut.

"I'm the older one here. That makes ME the influence-ee."

"Age is just a number, baby." He winked.

I scowled and then shivered a bit. It was a icy night for just being October. The rain did nothing to help my cold-prone body.

"Look, we can just go back to my place and maybe, just maybe, I'll let you have a beer."

His grin had me returning the cheek splitting gesture in just a matter of seconds. He reached down and swiped the keys from my hands.

"Fine, but I get to drive. We both know how much you suck at maneuvering in the rain."

**OOO**

Sunlight streamed through the window and down onto the couch where Jacob was sleeping. After we had gotten back to my apartment last night, the rain had picked up and turned into a storm. Jacob lived on the other side of town and we both agreed that I wouldn't be able to drive back after dropping him off at his dorm.

The result was that he crashed on my couch, where he often did, rain or shine.

His eyelashes fluttered a bit, as though he were looking around in his sleep. I almost hated to wake him up, but I had to go to class.

"Jake." I nudged him a bit. "Hey, asshole."

"Mmm."

"I have to go to class. Coffee is in the kitchen, just leave the keys in my mailbox when you go."

He waved me off and turned over. I chuckled softly and threw the keys near his feet. Maybe next year we could just get a place together and wouldn't need to exchange my one key so often.

In typical Ohio fashion, it was bright and sunny outside today. It was hard to complain about the rain, when it was shuffled between every other type of weather imaginable.

Today I only had one class, a science pre-requisite that I had put off for a long time now. If I wanted to graduate at the end of the year, I would need to get my shit together.

I took my place in the back of the room, as I normally did, and opened up my notebook. I glanced over some of the notes I took last class and groaned. None of it made any sense, and next week was my first set of midterms. I couldn't afford to fail so close to graduation.

After nearly the whole class shuffled in, the Professor followed suit and stepped up front. He opened his mouth to speak and the buzzing started.

I truly could not make out a single thing that he said, but I wrote it all down anyway.

Right as the fog was descending and my eyes started to close in boredom, a sharp noise sounded.

It was someone coming in.

I looked up and held in a gasp.

It was a guy, but that was putting his perfection into such a loose term. If I had thought Jacob was beautiful, I didn't know what this guy was. Bronze hair, tussled in that expensive and effortless way was just the first thing I saw. I wondered if he colored his hair that way, or if it was genetics.

Angles cut his cheeks and chin, making him look almost like he was sculpted. His skin was pale, paler than I was, but it wasn't pasty like my own. And his eyes… were this deep golden color that I had never seen before.

The only thing that kept me from staring longer was seeing that he was walking towards me…the only seat that was open, actually, but it was next to me.

I froze, unsure of what to do. I turned from him quickly, but saw him sit down from the corner of my eye.

"Nice of you to join us, Mr.…?" The Professor called out, and I heard a million chairs scrape against the floor as everyone who wasn't already looking turned towards to us.

"Cullen." He said, without blushing. "Edward Cullen." I could hear girls sigh.

I watched the Professor look down at the roster and then back at him.

"I don't see you on my class list-"

"I'm new. Just enrolled today." He said curtly. "I have the papers, if you need them."

The Professor merely nodded and told him to bring them to him after class.

I can tell you that I have never been more aware of myself than when this guy was sitting next to me. For a minute I was almost embarrassed, but then I noticed how stiff he was. Stiff and…. nervous?

He kept giving me small looks when he thought I wasn't looking, and then we would both look away. This repeated itself all throughout class, until finally, mercifully, it was done. I stood up, trying to race out, and of course I tripped. My books went everywhere, one even tumbling under Edward's chair.

If my face could permanently turn red, it would probably be less embarrassing than having it flash on and off like a light bulb.

He reached underneath him, pulled the book out and handed it to me.

"Thanks." I mumbled and tucked it under my arm with the rest.

As I turned to go, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I felt my body stiffen up.

When I looked back, he was standing there, looking at me with that magnificent, heartbreaking face of his. I couldn't handle it.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I was actually hoping you could do me a favor?"

_Do me a favor?_ What was this guy? He didn't sound like anyone I knew.

"Sure." I shrugged and he just blinked at me. What was his deal?

"Well, I know we have a midterm next week, and I obviously have no idea what we did before today. Most of it sounds relatively familiar to me, but just to be sure, can I borrow your notes?"

"Oh." My lip buried itself underneath my teeth. I _could_ give him the notes, no problem. But then, how would I study? I was doomed as it were, without the notes I wasn't sure I could handle even consider myself in the race, so to speak.

"I mean, it's fine if you can't…"

"No! I mean, I want to, I'm just…" I huffed a bit. "I suck at science. I don't even think I'm going to pass to be honest."

He grinned a bit and looked away. When he looked back at me his voice was a bit surer.

"Can I make you a deal then? If you share the notes with me…I'll help you. This is actually a specialty of mine."

I could only stare at him, as embarrassing as that was. I could hear a couple of girls snicker, and I was painfully aware of how undeserving I was of yet another handsome guy showing me attention. It was humiliating.

"Yes. Thank you." I finally spat out.

We exchanged numbers and he made his way to his next class.

As I made my way back to my place, I tried to erase him from my mind. There was no space in my life for boys in the romantic sense. But those eyes, as dazzling as they were startling, kept flickering back my mind.

And even though I was dreading work in a couple of hours, I couldn't help but feel excited for when I could see him again.


	2. Chapter 2

"Let's go do something tonight."

I was struggling to hold a load of dishes in my hands, as I made my way into the dish tank. I was reaching the end of yet another too long shift at work, and Jacob was persistently trying to get me go out afterwards.

"Jake, and I mean this kindly-shit!" A dish slid off the top of the load and started to fall to the ground. Swiftly, he caught it midair and then proceeded to take the rest in just one hand. I frowned.

"You were saying?" He grinned.

"I have a midterm I should be studying for." I reminded him. But I sighed all the same. How fun would it be to go out and act my age just this once?

Jacob threw all of the dishes into the tray for the dishwasher to handle. After washing his hands, he slung an arm around me and steered me away from the kitchen.

"One night. It'll be fun."

I dipped under his arm and squirmed free.

"Jake." I stared up at him with my best no-nonsense face.

"Isabella."

I winced at my full name. The back of my throat itched with another reason I couldn't go out. But the past two months all of a sudden caught up with me and I found myself smiling.

"One night." I agreed.

Jacob punched the air in a very _Breakfast Club_ way and then moved back out of the kitchen to take care of his table.

**OOO**

"Whiskey on the rocks." I told the young bartender.

He gave me a look that all guys get when a girl who is at least average looking orders a drink that _isn't _a Mike's hard or some other fruity shit.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and handed him my card to start my tab. When I had my drink I walked over to where Jacob was sitting in a booth.

I slid next to him and caught him sneaking a sip from a silver flask.

"Jacob!" I tsked.

He grinned sheepishly and took a more bold pull of whatever it was he had in there.

"Well I knew you weren't going to get me anything." He tried to reason.

I shook my head in disbelief.

"Damn straight I'm not."

He shrugged and handed me the flask.

"Punish me, then." He said, and his voice was a decimal lower than usual. I wondered…. was he flirting?

My face flushed and I took a sip of my drink.

His arm slid around me and he pulled me closer. As always, I wanted to remind him of the way that things were for me, but I couldn't bring myself to.

His warmth seeped through my shirt and made me feel content. I listened to him chatter about something that happened in one of his classes as I drank my whiskey down. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him.

His pale skin stood out in the dark crowd of sweaty people.

He was standing next to a young girl-like woman, with short and spiky dark hair and a very small frame. That's all I could make out about her physically, from the distance. Other than that, all I could tell that she was…angry?

I squirmed out from underneath Jacob and motioned towards my empty glass.

"I'll be back ok? Getting a refill."

"Sure, sure." He was on his phone, barely paying attention. But that wouldn't last long. I had to be fast.

I made my way through the crowd, some swaying to music, others just talking and bumping up against each other. When I was almost close enough to make out Edward more clearly, he moved. Or rather, they moved.

I turned back quickly and saw that Jacob was looking around for me. As inconspicuously as I could, I pushed through the crowd again, eager to see where the two were going.

I almost made myself known as I turned a corner too quickly and saw that they were standing near the emergency exit doors. Quickly, I stepped back and pressed myself against the wall. They didn't even notice.

"I don't care." She was speaking low, in a hasty voice.

"You should care." Came back his equally low response. "We have a deadline. You know this just as well as I do."

I peeked around the corner and saw that they were very close, as if they were about to kiss. I was surprised to find that the idea of this made my stomach hurt.

She grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer than before.

"I never wanted this." She said. And then she let him go.

As she started to turn in my direction, I started running. I didn't know what I just saw, but I didn't think that I _wanted_ to know.

**OOO**

My apartment felt empty and cold. Jacob had left me shortly after waking up and I was disappointed that he didn't want to eat breakfast with me.

I should say that it was more so that he couldn't. He had English three days a week at 8 AM, and it was the bane of both of our existences. I craved his happy chatter on my otherwise empty mornings. And I especially enjoyed cooking for him.

I decided to do a little cleaning up while I waited for him to come back. I started with the kitchen, clearing out old leftovers and moldy items from the fridge. Then I bagged up the trash and took it outside. As I was closing the garbage, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I thought it was just a text, so I kept walking back into my apartment. But the buzzing only continued. I pulled the phone out and saw that it was someone I never _truly_ expected to call me.

Edward Cullen.

Even just reading his name made my heart jump straight into my throat. Only now, it wasn't just because he was breathtakingly handsome, but because I had been replaying the short scene from last night all day.

A chill ran down my spine as I remembered the girl with the spiky hair. She was so small but so…fierce.

Nevertheless, I answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Bella." His voice was like velvet. It hurt to hear something so beautiful. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." I sputtered.

"Good." I could almost hear him smile through the invisible phone line between us. "So I was wondering if I could take you up on our previous offer?"

I racked my brain for a time when I had promised Edward Cullen something. I came up short.

"Uhm." Was all I could manage.

"I'll take that as a yes? Midterms _are_ next week after all. If you want to just text me your address, I could be there in an hour."

"Alright. Yes, that's fine."

It clicked in my head that he wanted to study. We had a study date.

I laughed at the thought of him wanting anything else from me. Someone as beautiful as he was could have his pick from the whole entire campus.

Then I stopped laughing and saw myself in the complex window. An hour wouldn't be enough time to make myself presentable.

**OOO**

When I had finished my futile attempt at looking pretty, I looked in the mirror and held back a grimace. I had given up on brushing my hair straight and smooth and let it wave down past my shoulders. Not one for much makeup, I had simply put some light pink blush across my cheeks and swiped mascara up my lashes.

It wasn't terrible, but when I imagined how god damn good-looking Edward was, I cringed.

As if on cue, I heard a buzzer go off. Knowing it was Edward; I pressed the entrance button and let him in. My heart thudded loudly in my chest as I listened to him knock on the door.

And then he was inside my apartment and if I didn't sit down, I might pass out. Why was I so smitten with someone I barely knew? Surely I wasn't as shallow as I would be if it were simply because he was handsome. Jacob was plenty handsome and I managed to be a lot more articulate and…_normal_, around him.

"I like your place." He said.

I looked around and tried to see it through his eyes. A bunch of books littered the shelves and countertops, even a small pile rested near the door. In my kitchen, which you could see from where we stood, a half full coffee pot sat on an otherwise clean counter. And in the living room, where we were now, there was just a couch, a TV and a bookshelf. It wasn't much, but I did like my place. It was comforting. It was mine.

"Thank you." I told him and smiled.

He gave me a crooked grin in return and motioned towards the couch.

"Shall we?" he asked.

**OOO**

"Anaphase."

"May I?"

He took the practice sheet with examples on it from me and glanced over the question that we were just observing. After he compared it to the ones in the book, he nodded.

"Your turn." I told him and tried to take the textbook from him.

He smiled and stood slowly.

"As much as I have enjoyed your company Miss. Swan, I think that it's time for me to leave."

"Oh." I stood quickly and almost tripped over my feet. "Of course you should."

But as we walked to the door and I opened it to let him out, I felt something I had never felt before, with anyone. It was a quiet sense of nostalgia for each passing moment, even the ones that were one step ahead of us.

"We should do this again." He said and gave me that crooked half smile again. "You can never be too prepared."

We set a date for early next Tuesday and I let him walk away.

**OOO**

I couldn't shake the feeling that had overcome me since Edward left. I tried making myself a quick dinner, but didn't even finish it before I boxed it up and put it in the fridge. I wasn't as hungry as I was unsettled.

I curled up with a blanket on the couch and pulled my favorite book, _Jane Eyre, _ from the pile near the door. I had read it so many times that the pages were yellow and water damaged from all of the times when I had brought it with me places and accidentally spilled something on it.

All the same, the beginning always swept me away and left me breathless. _There was no possibility of taking a walk today…_

No possibility indeed.

I finally calmed down as each page turned and by the time that Jacob buzzed to be let in, I had hardly even realized that much time had passed.

"Why haven't you answered me today?" he asked as he shrugged off his coat and hung it up in my closet.

I pulled out my phone and saw that I did have a couple of missed messages from him.

"Wow, Jake. I'm sorry." I shrugged. "You know how I am with technology."

He laughed and messed up my hair a little bit.

"That I do. You look nice today by the way. What's the occasion?"

I blushed and tried to look away. I could tell Jacob the truth, but he would probably just misread the situation and get jealous. I was always too protective of his feelings.

"I was just in the mood to look nice, I guess."

"Then lets make a night of it. Go out dancing or something." He took my hand and twirled me around. I ruined it by stumbling a bit and falling.

"Jacob, I can't even dance in my living room, much less at a club in front of people."

He waved me off and retrieved his coat. As he tossed me mine, he grinned his most sincere smile and I knew that I had lost the fight.

**OOO**

I had never been to this club before, but I had heard of it. Normally, when the girls at work described the place though, they had said it was small…quaint. And it was anything but.

The music was like a million fucking times too loud. And regardless of the size of the place, the amount of people crammed in it made me overwhelmingly sweaty. I regretted bringing a jacket immediately.

But I looked over at Jacob and he was smiling so big that I couldn't resist putting on a brave face and linking my arm through his.

"What now?" I shouted.

"Now we dance."

He took off his jacket and gestured for mine. I slipped it off and handed it to him.

"Where are you going to put the jackets?"

"Don't worry about it. Just stay here for a second."

I nodded and tried to stay out of the way of a large group of people that had spontaneously appeared next to us and started screaming to the song that was playing. I wondered if part of actually having fun in a place like this was to act like a moron.

Jacob came back quickly and picked me up.

"Jacob!" I squealed.

He put me down and smiled reassuringly.

"Take a deep breath, Bells. Don't look so stressed."

I guess he had seen through me after all. Why did a place like this even make me so stressed out in the first place?

Before I even had time to think about it, Jacob initiated everything. And with Jacob, _everything_ became effortless. As soon as I started to stumble, he pulled me back in. And despite myself, I started to have…fun.

My heart was racing, Jacob's body was warm against mine, and suddenly the crowd didn't feel oppressive anymore. It felt right.

I couldn't remember the last time that I had felt this alive.

Someone bumped into me and broke the moment. Jacob didn't even notice, but I caught a glimpse of them as they walked away. It was the girl from the other night-the one with the short black hair.

I tried to resist the urge to follow her, but I couldn't.

"I need air." I called up to Jacob.

"I'll go with you!" he said.

I contemplated coming up with an excuse to get him to stay, but there wasn't enough time. And besides, Jacob was much bigger than I was. He could probably part the way much quicker than I could.

"Ok!"

He picked me up like I was a child and started pushing past the crowd. I was only marginally humiliated, but my main focus was keeping tabs on the pixie girl.

Jacob set me down right before the doors and I pushed out in front of him.

For a second I thought that I was too late, but then I saw her smoking. But that wasn't the surprising part.

I had thought that Edward was the most perfect thing I had ever seen, and I was right on that. But I was wrong in thinking he was the only one. Even in the harsh light cast down from a street lamp, she was easily the prettiest female that I had ever seen in my life.

She was pale, but there was a warm glow about her cheeks, and her features looked as though they were all placed with absolute care, as though her creator wanted her to be as perfect as humanly possible.

I knew now that she had to be Edward's girlfriend. There was no other explanation for two such beautiful people to be near each other. And they must have been fighting about something trivial. Rent perhaps?

I felt foolish for following her outside. Foolish that Jacob was standing and looking at me, staring at her.

Then she glanced over and caught me.

Her eyes were a piercing blue. The kind of blue that makes you rethink what color the sky is.

"What?" she snapped. My mouth dropped. "Do you need something?"

"I…" I looked at Jacob, who stepped near me protectively. "What do you mean?"

Her eyes narrowed.

"Did Edward send you?"

"I think we better get going." Jacob said carefully and tugged on my arm. "Come on Bella, let's get your jacket."

I was suddenly freezing, standing out in the cold with this strange and beautiful girl giving me the meanest look I've ever received. When she heard my name, her eyes widened, eyebrows shooting up to her hairline. And for a second…just a second, I wondered if she knew something that I didn't.

* * *

**A/N: Any theories on Edward? Let me know what you think, as always :]**


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